Composite package



Sept. 14, 1965 R. w. KING COMPOSITE PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1962 lllll INVENTOR. ROBERTWKING ATFQIZNEVS Sept. 14, 1965 R. w. KING 3,206,093

COMPOSITE PACKAGE Filed Dec. 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [ill INVENTOR. R0 BE RT w Kl N G BY 7 M :4

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INVENTOR.

ROBERT \1-J KING BY 4M M ZS ZM ATTORNEVQ United States Patent 3,206,093 COMPDSITE PACKAGE Robert W. King, Chelmsford, Mass, assiguor to Owens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 242,518 2 Claims. (Cl. 22914) My invention is a novel composite package and method for manufacturing the same.

The package basically is conventional and comprises a flexible bag enclosed in a rigid shipping container, such a package being generally referred to as a bag-in-a-box package. The flexible bag may be formed from polyethylene or similar thermoplastic material. This bag has integrally formed or attached to one end thereof a mouthforming neck of such cross-section as to relatively rigid and capable of receiving a cover cap, a screw-threaded closure cap, for example.

An important object of my invention is the rovision of simple, novel means for eliect'ively interlocking the neck portion of the flexible bag and the contiguous walls of the rigid container so that no appreciable relative movement between the bag or neck and container can occur incident to the application or removal of a screw-type closure cap. Thus, twisting of the bag or neck so that it revolves relative to the container or box, and the objectionable consequences thereof, are entirely avoided.

It is also an object of my invention to provide in a package of the above character, one of more radial protuberances or fingers externally of the bag neck which project into a cavity or cavities in an adjacent wall of the box or container to thereby lock the bag and box against relative movement, either rotational or axial.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel method of forming a package of the above character which includes the step of injecting portions of the neck forming material into cavities or recesses preformed in a wall of the box or shipping container, thereby locking the neck and box together.

It is likewise an object of my invention to provide novel apparatus for practicing the above method, such comprising the provision of radial ports through which some of the thermoplastic material may be injected, for example into one or more corrugations of a paperboard box end, concurrently with filling of the neck ring, thereby forming radial protuberances interlocking the bag neck and box.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, the preferred embodiments of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of my application:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view showing my invention embodied in a typical neck mold unit and thermoplastic extruder;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view showing the flexible inner bag and rigid neck in process of formation;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view showing the neck ring mold and bag neck immediately following initial separation;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken along the plane of line 44 of FIG. 6 showing the neck protuberances of fingers entering the corrugations and locking the neck and box against relative movement;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the neck ring unit and extruder shown in FIG. 1;

3,236,093 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail sectional View of a neck ring mold provided with means for injecting neck and wall locking fingers into wall cavities or recesses of a neck opening in a box wall or the like;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a complete package with parts broken away and shown in section, revealing the bag-in-a-box concept and the lock feature of my invention.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8, showing the integral neck and inner bag portion.

FIG. 10 is a view like FIG. 9, but showing the bag heat-sealed to the neck portion.

The composite package (FIG. 8) comprises a rigid, or s-emirigid box 15, or shipping container, formed for example, at least in part, from corrugated paperboard and enclosing a flexible inner bag 16 of polyethylene, or such material. The box includes a top or panel portion 17 having a central axial generally circular opening 18 therethrough to accommodate a neck 19 from which the bag proper is suspended; Because of the corrugations, a plurality of channels 20 are provided and one or more of these create cavities in the wall of said axial opening 18. These cavities constitute an important part of my invention, as will become apparent presently.

Within and extending axially through the opening 18 in the panel 17 is a neck 21 composed of an annular cylinder-like wall provided with an external screw-thread 22 for the retention of a screw-threaded closure cap (not shown). This neck has formed as an integral part, one or more external radial fingers 23 or protuberances which extend into the cavities created by the corrugations and resultant channels 20, or otherwise. These cavities may be shallow depressions formed in an opening wall of a fiber-board sheet or other material. Thus the neck and panel are securely held against both relative axial and rotative motion.

The basic apparatus which is employed and disclosed in a copending application or" Wilbur A. Schaich, Serial No. 168,143, filed January 23, 1962, now abandoned, entitled Method of Forming a Composite Package. Referring to FIG. 6, the apparatus comprises an extruder nozzie 25 of an extruder 26 designed to deliver a thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene, and inject a quantity of same into a neck ring mold 2'7. This mold 27 may be of the two-piece, or split-mold type, comprising two halves or sections movable radially toward and from each other in a holder 28. This holder is a vertical cylinder housing a part of mold opening and closing mechanism, such cylinder being mounted upon a vertical ram or piston rod 29 which rises from a piston motor cylinder 30.

Within the cylinder-like, mold holder 23 is a pistonlike head 31 which is secured to said ram 2? and carries a pair of upwardly divergent pins 32 which are received slidingly in similarly angled elongated channels 33 in the mold sections. Springs 34 normally unyieldingly urge the holder 28 downwardly relative to the head 31 thereby normally tending to hold the mold closed, as is apparent by reference to FIG. 6. A blow-pipe 31a extends axially upwardly from the head 31 and has an axial bore 35 providing a passageway for blowing air under pressure, such being utilized to expand a bag-forming tube, as will be apparent presently. Air under pressure is supplied to this bore 35 by any conventional means (not shown).

Following filling of the cavity or" the neck ring mold, the entire neck mold assembly, the ram 29 and the motor cylinder 3t) are lowered axially away from the extruder, (FIG. 2) thus producing an elongated thin-walled tube which then is enclosed by the top panel 17 and a pair of mold halves 38. Piston motors 39 actuate these mold halves 38 which also pinch the tube walls together sealing same in proximity to the extruder nozzle. A shear 49 functions to separate the extruded tube 36 from the parent body of material. With completion of the tube enclosing step and expansion of the tube within the mold halves and panel 17, the ram operates to relatively axially move the head 31 and mold holder 28 thereby opening the neck mold 27 and releasing the formed neck of the package. Thereafter the entire mold and ram assembly may be lowered to clear the package neck. Any conventional piston motor mechanism (not shown) but disclosed in the above-identified copending application may be ernployed to so move the mold and ram.

Because of the importance of locking the neck and box together so that they will not rotate relatively when one attempts to apply or remove a threaded closure cap, for example, I, at the time of molding the neck in the box opening, inject some of the thermoplastic material from the neck mold into small cavities 41 which have been preformed in the Wall of the neck-accommodating opening. Thus the previously mentioned radial fingers 23 are created. These cavities naturally occur where corrugated I paperboard is used in all or a part of the box, but in other situations they may be formed in the number and dimensions required by cutters of suitable form (not shown).

The extruder nozzle is provided with an annular extension or lip 42 (FIG. 6) intended for register with the in let to the neck ring mold 27 and for projection into the neck accommodating opening 13 of the box or other element. This lip snugly fits into said opening and is formed with one or more radial ports 43 through which minor portions the fingers 23 of thermoplastic material are injected into the cavities 41. See FIG. 4. Thus with setting of the material, the neck and box are securely locked together against relative movement, both axial and rotary. Because the ports 43 are shallow-notches in the lower margin of the lip, it is apparent that the finished neck readily separates from the nozzle.

A further modification of my invention is shown by FIG. 7. The preceding discussion has been concerned with the formation of a flexible bag integrally connected to a neck portion that is interlocked with a box blank. This modification provides for injection molding only the neck portion in a manner to interlock it with a paperboard panel. This neck portion may then be heat sealed in a conventional manner to a flexible, thermoplastic bag to complete the package.

In FIG. 7, the neck 51 is injection molded in an open ing 51 in a wall element 52 which may be a box blank or a portion of a box blank. As mentioned above, the neck is not an integral part of a bag-like container. Hence, a solid mandrel 53 is positioned in the neck ring mold S4 and the box wall 52 or other element is clmiped between the neck mold 54 and a base ring 55 for said mandrel. The wall of the opening has one or more preformed cavities such as in the case of corrugated paperboard, into which portions of the thermoplastic material of the neck 59 are injected to form locking fingers 56. The material enters the mold cavity through a sprue opening 58. As will be observed the base ring 55 includes an enlarged base portion which produces a Wide flange 59 firmly contacting the adjacent face of the wall 52. A flexible bag can subsequently be heat sealed to this flange if desired.

it will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be modified through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention,.and it is not therefore, the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise. than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. In combination, a receptacle wall having a circular opening therethrough to accommodate a tubular neck member, the wall defining the opening having a tube-like recess extending radially of said opening communicating at one end with said opening, and a finger on said neck member extending radially outward with respect to said neck member and snugly. entering the recess, said recess and finger providing the sole means for securing the neck against material independent bodily movement in any direction relative to said wall.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, the wall being corrugated paperboard and the radial recess being defined by one of the corrugations.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,133,852 10/ 38 Dillhoefer 285-204 2,266,432 12/41 Morin et a1 18-59 2,324,978 7/43 Cohrand 18-59 2,338,604 1/44 Silveyra 229-14 2,352,503 6/44 Walton 229-14 2,412,544 12/46 Waters 229-14 2,721,674 10/55 Lazard.

2,831,610 4/58 Dennie.

2,861,718 11/58 Winzen.

2,946,494 6/60 Kuss 229-14 2,973,119 2/61 Parker. 3,026,576 3/62 Henderson 18-59 3,052,916 9/62 Campbell 18-5 3,065,501 11/62 Gasmire 18-5 3,089,622 5/ 63 Westlake 229-14 FOREIGN PATENTS 216,955 8/61 Austria. 1,237,455 6/69- France. 1,249,635 11/60 France.

357,996 12/61 Switzerland.

FRANKLEN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A RECEPTACLE WALL HAVING A CIRCULAR OPENING THERETHROUGH TO ACCOMMODATE A TUBULAR NECK MEMBER, THE WALL DEFINING THE OPENING HAVING A TUBE-LIKE RECESS EXTENDING RADIALLY OF SAID OPENING COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITH SAID OPENING, AND A FINGER ON SAID NECK MEMBER EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD WITH RESPECT TO SAID NECK MEMBER AND SNUGLY ENTERING THE RECESS, SAID RECESS AND FINGER PROVIDING THE SOLE MEANS FOR SECURING THE NECK AGAINST MATERIAL INDEPENDENT BODILY MOVEMENT IN ANY DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID WALL. 